A bit of wild-west this year. The long distance classics Daytona and Sebring no longer were part of the show; but that was the least of the problems. The rules, loosely written, turned scruteneering and racing into a nightmare. Mysterious bubble hoods appeared on the Javelins, Camaro's were reportedly acid-dipped to lighten the bodywork, and appeared with nice vinyl roofs - perhaps to cover up that the acid-dipping had been wrinkling the roofs? Penske built a fuel rig nearly 6 meters high, to create a pressured (and cooled) refuelling system. The Bud Moore Mustangs were accused of illegal modifications. And so on.
But there was some racing as well. The season saw a big fight between the Sunoco Camaros and the Bud Moore Mustangs. The races were popular and factories poured ever more money into both classes. The 1969 rules stated a minumum weight of 2900 pounds (1315 kg), maximum wheelbase 116 inches, 2 liter or 5 liter engines. The races had to be minimal 2,5 hours long, and 9 out of 12 races counted for the manufacturers championship.
In the end, Chevrolet and Porsche were the champions; the outstanding drivers were called Donohue and Gregg.
The races: |
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The cars